New buzz in the industry shows inventories are on the rise, but with mixed opinions whether it's time to sound the alarms.rnBill McClean of IC Insights still sees ～30% growth in 2010, but notes that IC unit shipments overshot in 2Q, particularly in application-specific analog and logic. (Analog ICs for cell phones swelled 66% in May vs. a year ago though sales only rose about 3%, for example.) "This type of IC unit volume increase should always raise some concern," he said, adding that the communications sector is a good early-warning signal for the industry as a whole.rnCraig Berger from FBR Research points out that days-of-inventory (DOI) is creeping up all across the supply chain. "Downstreamrncustomers no longer replenish inventory and could begin to de-stock inventory," he warns in a research note.
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